Writing is a Lifelong Habit

Written by Writer Dad on April 2, 2009 - View Comments
Categories: Writing

Writing is a Lifelong Habit

“Proofread carefully to see if you any words out.”
~Author Unknown

Writing is a Lifelong HabitAsk a room full of people to write and you will find the span of sudden feelings ranging from the joy of creation to the fear of challenge. For Sean and I it is a wonderful opportunity to both write and teach people of all ages the thrill of communicating ideas with the written word.

My favorite group to teach is the young writer.  A lot of what a student learns about writing results from their independent curiosity, purpose in school, and discovering/borrowing strategies from professional writers (whether they know it or not).

Our family celebrates the art of writing with tools to convey  meaning in every corner of our home. We embrace every opportunity to read great literature aloud to our children, several times throughout the day and without fail before bedtime. We are confident our children are internalizing the fundamental strategies of language that our favorite author’s deliver, as we model what good writers look like by our profession and daily habits.

Many of us count on our teachers to deliver writing content to our children through instruction that explicitly teaches, demonstrates and develops quality writing within a range of genres with proficiency.

GULP! But Writer Mom, what if this is not happening in my child’s school?

Whether your child attends private or public education, the non-negotiable task of the teacher is to develop a writing program that is comprehensive, consistent and clear in its process.

This writing process starts when your child enters the world. Language, reading out loud, and playing with speech through rhyme, rhythm and repetition are all part of the recipe for a budding and beautiful mind.  Young children are naturally curious and haven’t learned to feel inhibited or experience failure. They are often keen to try anything or accept any sort of modeling as long as it is delivered in a developmentally appropriate manner.

This group is my top favorite to teach next to 4th graders.

Writing from the heart with 4th graders is a joy and challenge. 4th grade is the year when the rubber and the road meet. It is by 4th grade that the years of modeling, explicit instruction, and solid reading comprehension skills are firmly set in place. If every teacher in the chain of writing (from early learning to 4th grade) has built upon the process we can then move forward, diving deeper into creativity.

We want our students to feel empowered by language, and able to express themselves through writing, visuals, music, or theater.  The bottom line is that if children can’t write proficiently, they haven’t yet completed the communication loop of listening, speaking, reading and writing.

Writing is a synthesis of the language process.

So what to do if you aren’t happy with your school’s writing program?

TAKE ACTION AND ASK QUESTIONS.

  • What is the school’s writing program?
  • What content is taught and expected at each grade level?
  • What  assessments are used to validate the delivery of content and curriculum?
  • What kind of rubric are teachers using to evaluate a student’s piece of writing?
  • How often and how many minutes a day does a teacher devote to writing?
  • How many minutes does your child write per day?
  • Does your school offer a workshop for parents to help support writing at home?

Children write the future and we must never take today for granted.

Take the time to find out if your school is implementing a writing program that will empower your child to become a prepared 21st Century learner. Share your experiences about how you learned  to write  and how your child is leanring how to  write in school today. Whatever the conclusion, we must take steps needed steps to empower our youth.

Children write the future. Do you feel proud about what they are going to say?

Cindy

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  • Kim
    Have you thought of offering an on-line writer's workshop for kids? I'd sign mine up in a heartbeat! :)
  • Are you familiar with Lucy Calkins and her Writers' Workshop series? My school uses her philosophy and structure.
  • Thanks for the inspiring post today. First of all, I love the quote you begin with, the idea of writing becoming a lifelong habit. I am so there! But as you describe, I want my children to be there too. We read together and tell stories to each other every night and I hope that the love for books transfers, but I do want my kids to find this encouragement at school as well - its ironic how few schools get their students actively reading in class. So thanks for the list of questions! : )
  • First of all, for me, the love of reading starts even before a child is born, in the parent. Secondly, I love 4th graders, but after teaching 5th grade for several years, I can say, I love them a little more. In 5th grade, children can discuss an issue with some keen insight, they are still at an age where school is fun, and their minds are still open to new ideas. Oh, I know this can happen at other ages, but I have a clear bias.

    I love teaching writing the most, and had regular writer's workshops, often starting with an example read-aloud. I incorporated reading in math, science, and even PE. 5th grade is a magical time, just before they enter middle school and become jaded about education, school, and all the rest. Teachers who teach at that age really have their work cut out for them.
  • I have to say, since I've decided to teach Monkey at home, that having her write and creative write is a priority for me, but I worried that I might be pushing her too much. Your post has encouraged me that writing, even just a few sentences, is building a much-needed foundation for her future. I'm looking forward to teaching her and encouraging her creativity.
  • Your school is so fortunate to have two inspired and enthusiastic writing coaches for the fourth graders. It saddens me to know that Janice's expertise was turned down at her school. Our school begs for parental help and it's rare to get it because most moms are working.

    Our curriculum at our school doesn't have time allotted for creative writing so I have to sneak it in however I can. I have them keep journals and give them prompts (I count it as history.) I have them write thank-you notes, letters to friends and family, and letters to businesses and count it as language. At first they rebelled, saying they HATE writing, but now they finish writing and ask if they can read it to the rest of the class.

    I told my class today that writing is one of the most important skills they can use for the future. I have actually not hired qualified people if their resumes are a mess or if they can't express themselves well in an email. By not encouraging our children to write, write, write we are really doing them a disservice. I'm so glad you touched on this, Cindy.
  • Cindy- beautifully written. It was perfect timing to get the Tweet from Sean- check out what you inspired:
    http://tinyurl.com/dhemr4
  • Trina
    Fabulous! Terrific list of questions to aid in picking a school when one has that option. Your enthusiasm shines through.
  • Lori
    As Janice writes, "Teaching with heart" -- it makes so much difference when the subject is alive, vibrant, and organic for teacher and student! Thanks for elevating it above an imposed ...*yawn* ... life skill.
  • "and discovering/borrowing strategies from professional writers"

    I WELL remember my "Madeleine L'Engle" phase. (That wretched poem even won a prize!) I have to give mad props to my 2nd grade teacher, Mrs. DeVignier, who made me the poet laureate of our classroom and never, ever made fun of what I wrote.
  • The belief I have with writing is that it will continue to be a "lifelong habit" for years and years to come. Videos are starting to be more mass produced, but it the official documentation of a written assignment, which is valued more than anything.
  • Reading this article brought back to me a flood of memories from when my children were very young. They were read to all the time and exposed to things like poetry and songwriting. Their ages are now 20, 18, and 16 and they all have a love of reading and are shaping up to be great writers as well. I am very proud of what my children will offer the world. Thanks for this inspiring article. :-)
  • "Children write the future and we must never take today for granted."

    Perfectly expressed, Cindy. Statistics alone show that most people in prison can't read or write and that's something none of us should be indifferent to.

    I know I'll be deeply proud of the kind of future my kids will write, wherever their journeys take them, but our state education system depresses me. Committed teachers, exhausted, trying to battle a system where national assessment and its voracious appetite for endless testing and report writing has slashed the time and energy they have for teaching the most basic of skills. I offered to sit in a room part of every day, at our kids' school, being 'on call' to do fun literacy skills and reading aloud to any kids the teachers thought might not be getting read to at home. (Remember, this is one of my jobs; I'm state registered and qualified to teach language skills. ) No-one took me seriously. Some teachers wouldn't believe that someone was willing to do part of their job for free and thought it would show them in a bad light. Others didn't believe that the simple act of reading to underprivileged kids and doing fun writing for a few minutes each day would make that much of a difference. I despaired and eventually gave up after suggesting it to three different head teachers.

    Great work here this week, Cindy. Thought provoking and insightful. Teaching with heart. Thank you! I look forward to reading you here again. I have a sneaky feeling we are about to see the marriage of WriterDad/Writer Mom!
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